Tainted With A Purpose
by PinkPygmyPufff
Summary: Sooo, my summary did not fit but you can find it at the top of Chapter 1! :)
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

 **This is a spin off of Duel With Fire.**

 **Catalina Greengrass is the daughter of a magician. Her mother has the water, a magical power. Despite her parents hopes, she does not inherit the water and is shunned. Instead she turned to horse back riding. Five years later she is one of the best youth riders in the country. As she gets better and better, her trainer, Ralph Wood, has her train with more advanced riders. One such of the advanced riders is the Heir Prince, Prince Sivan. The two hit it off and become good friends, but what will Catalina when problems arrive at home and she realizes that she is a... Tainted?**

 **Authors Note**

 **So, this is my personal spin off of** ** _Duel With Fire_** **but with horses and different characters. I love the setting so I switched some things up. I love getting reviews so please do! Um, I think thats it so... Enjoy!**

Catalina walked into the modest building silently. The lady sitting at the front desk didn't even glance up at her. Catalina took off her cloak and shook the snow out of her hair. She quietly walked over to her trunk, her footsteps pattering on the polished wood. She sat down on the ground and exchanged her boots for her riding boots. She grabbed her helmet out of the trunk with her crop before walking out the back door. She was here for her riding lesson. As she walked out the back door she saw another girl, Shiela Gold. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Catalina hated Shiela. Shiela was a noble through and through. She had a haughty way of saying things and was forever gossiping about other people. Catalina's parents were commoners, wealthy for their rank though. Her father was a tradesmen and her mother had the water. The water was magical power that could control water. Her mother made ice sculptures and purified water for the locals. Catalina walked passed Shiela to her horse's stall. Her horse was a Irish Sport Horse. His name was Lucky. He was a large bay gelding, around seventeen hands. He greeted her with a low nicker. Catalina smiled, momentarily forgetting Shiela. She let herself into his stall and he came over to her, nibbling on her hair. She quickly gave him a treat before he could bite off any. She prized her hair. It was a light blond, with white highlights streaking through it. She grabbed her brush and started brushing him while he finished eating his breakfast. She worked quickly and efficiently, the brush gliding over him smoothly. She used her stiff brush first, than using her soft, picked his feet with the hoof pick before finally brushing out his mane and tail. When he was done eating she brought him out and tied him to the tie post before tacking up. At last she mounted and walked out to the arena, five minutes early as usual. She put her helmet on, fastening the buckle under her chin with a loud click. She started stretching Lucky, bending his neck from side to side and walking him. She enjoyed the silence while she warmed up. She was the first lesson in the morning. Her lesson was at six, right after the sun rose. At last her trainer Ralph Hood came out.

"Ready?" He barked. She nodded. "Lets start with the posting trot. No irons." She asked for the trot and dropped her stirrups. Ten laps later her thighs started burning. At eleven her abs started. She hated posting without stirrups, even if it was the most effective way to build up her strength. As she completed her twelfth lap he spoke. "Pick up your irons. Switch directions. Twelve more laps counter clockwise. She gladly picked up her stirrups, she would always call her irons her stirrups. It was the more common term. Ralph Hood's school was well known, he had been an accomplished rider in his youth. Everything at this riding school was prestigious, so he used the lesser known terms for everything. She circled Lucky, sitting two beats to correct her post. Ralph watched her every move. She kept her heels down, back straight, Lucky moving forward. The only reason that she was at this riding school was because she had decided not to attend finishing school. So the money was put toward her riding education. Her parents had agreed with her, she was refined enough, and she wouldn't go far even with finishing school, she was a commoner. Catalina was determined to make a name of herself in riding. She would need a sponsor in a couple of years, she could ride for them and in return they would feed and clothe her. When she finished her twelve laps she stopped Lucky and pivoted him to face Ralph.

He studied her for a moment before deciding. "Lets go to Arena A." Catalina did her best to hide her surprise. Arena A was where the advanced practiced, and if she was correct, they were training in there at the moment. Catalina followed Ralph out of the Arena C. She passed Shiela on the way out, she was heading in with her trainer Mark Bowers.

"Where you going?" Mark asked Ralph.

Ralph glanced at him. "Arena A." Shiela didn't even bother to hide her shock. She sat there, mouth agape watching Catalina guide Lucky out of the arena. Catalina struggled to hide a smirk. If she was going to train with the advanced group, than Shiela might shut up about how bad of a rider Catalina is for once. They walked into Arena A. The group of riders looked up in surprise from their warm ups as the youth walked in.

Ralph waved his arm, gesturing for those in the arena to come over. When they got into hearing distance he spoke. "This is Catalina Greenfield, the newest member of our group. She will be coming with us to Chezon next weekend." He paused and Catalina bit her tongue to keep her face impassive. This was news to her. Ralph continued. "Her lesson is in here from six to seven, you may join us if you like. She will also be training with the group from now on after her lesson. Now clear out of the jumping area, were going to use it." The group nodded and trotted their horses away in pairs, most glancing at her.

Ralph turned back to her. He started listing which jumps she could take in what order and Catalina listened carefully reviewing what she had to work on with him. At last she was ready. She trotted Lucky in a circle, to warm him up. Ralph gave the cue and she asked for a hand gallop. Lucky transitioned into it easily and Catalina prepared for the jump, gently tapping him with the whip to keep him from weaving. She was aware that all of the other riders were watching her. She counted the strides and rose into two point when she felt Lucky's muscles bunch for the jump. They flew over it, Catalina low over Lucky's neck. When they landed she felt her long braid slap the center of her back. She grinned as she balanced for the next jump. She had the first jump down. Five more to go. She landed the second one easily, her feet firmly in the stirrups. Four more. She jumped the next three a little shakily, she adjusted her balance and turned Lucky for the last jump. It was the biggest of all of them, three foot ten inches. She focused, her vision pin pointing the jump. As she focused she felt everything slow down. She didn't know that people were gasping and pointing at her. She didn't know that Ralph had lied to her, that the jump was actually five foot, she didn't know that if she landed this that she would set a school record. She didn't know any of this, instead she focused. She rose into two point like always as Lucky's muscles gathered beneath her. As he jumped she let her reins out, giving him room to move his head. As they landed her braid hit her back with a slap and she grinned wider. She loved doing that. It was like she was flying. She let him gallop on a loose rein. She halted beside the marker and acknowledged Ralph who motioned for her to come over. All of the advanced riders clapped, and so did the audience she had gathered. She looked at the crowd in surprise before gallantly bowing. She walked Lucky on over to Ralph who grinned when she got to him.

"Great job! That was a five foot fence!" She looked at him in confusion. "But you said it was three foot ten." He gave her a reproving look while he waited for the gears to click into place. Catalina grinned when he realized what he had done.

"So, new school record huh?" She asked with a grin, all teeth.

"Yep! Cool off Lucky on one of the trails, walk only ok? He did good today." Ralph patted the sweat soaked horse and turned to the other riders entering the arena. Grinning, Catalina picked her favorite trail, it circled around the barns but it was still in the woods.

Half an hour later a mud covered Catalina dismounted and led Lucky into the wash racks. She set her tack off to the side for her to clean later. She took off her helmet before filling up the wash buckets with water. Her mother had installed some sort of canal system for the barn, it proved very helpful when you had a messy horse, like Catalina so often did. As she bathed Lucky several people who she didn't even recognize came over to congratulate her. She bent down to scrub his legs and hummed as she worked, carefully working the pieces of dry mud out of Lucky coat. Just before she went to stand up, somebody placed there hand on her shoulder. Cold traveled down her arm like water. In surprise she jerked the sponge, spraying water all over herself and who ever was behind her. Whoever had a grip on her shoulder released her and Catalina turned around. Nobody was there, but there was a trail of wet foot prints. She blinked, and they disappeared. She scrubbed her eyes with her hands again and looked at the spot where they had been again. They weren't there. She must off imagined it. She shook her head and went back to her work on Lucky finishing quickly before feeding him and heading back home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note**

 **Hi guys! I think you will like this chapter a lot, it gives you more insight on Catalina and her character. You also get to meet the other main character and this is also a lot longer, so hope you like it!**

Her bare feet slapped the ground as she ran down the cobblestone road. Her feet stung but she kept going. Tears shined in her eyes, finally she made it to the fountain. She ducked into it, not very many people knew about the place. If you went under rate water there was an empty place where you didn't get wet. A simple stone bench circled around the pillar that held the water as it burst up through the pipe. She sat down on the bench before breaking down in tears. She had come from the house. Her father was away on the road selling things like a merchant should. So she just had to make food for her mother and herself right? Well, after her bare hands had touched the water, it had not boiled. Then when she got fed up with the water not boiling and put her hand into the water, it froze like ice. She had slaved for the past three hours in the kitchen, working to keep her emotions out of her cooking and notching the water with her bare hands. Then her mother had come home and deemed supper disgusting. And that was when Catalina had left. Now she sat on the cold bench, tears streaming down her face. There was no way around it. She was a tainted. If anybody found out, she would be killed.

She spent the next couple hours just sitting there in shock. Finally after dark she left, walking home and climbing in bed. There was truly no way around it, she was a tainted.

She woke early like usual, five o'clock. Determined to be distracted, she quickly got dressed and grabbed breakfast before running out the door. She arrived at the barn and was surprised to see everybody in a huge hurry.

"Good, you came early. I forgot to tell you, we have Chezon today. Everything loaded. Get in carriage two." Ralph said when she was in earshot. She nodded and ran out back to where the carriages were waiting. The horses stood on wooden platforms with beams pressing against them on all sides, forcing to keep them still. Two draft horses were hooked to each platform, one show horse to a wooden platform. She jogged over to the carriage and climbed in. Two other riders were already in it. They sat together on one couch. Ralph climbed in behind her and sat beside her.

"Catalina, this is Princess Cara," Ralph paused and Princess Cara extended her hand for her to shake. Catalina took it, biting her tongue to keep her surprise hidden. "And this is Prince Sivan." The prince also extended his hand and Catalina shook it. She looked at him. The heir prince had dark brown hair with tan skin. His dark blue eyes were an uncommon shade. His eyes locked for a moment before he released her hand. She knew her eyes must seem very unusual to him, only commoners had such light colored eyes. She swallowed and released his hand. The princess had pale skin and dark brown eyes with chocolate colored hair. They looked nothing alike.

"Your the owner of Luck Gone Green aren't you?" The princess asked. Catalina swallowed again before answering. She wasn't one to speak with nobles. "Yes. I bought him when he was three and trained him."

"What breed is he? He has excellent conformation." The prince commented. She glanced at him again before speaking. Damn, he was handsome. Now under Hannah gushed about him all the time.

"Irish Sport Horse. I was traveling with my father, he is a trader, and we went to a horse auction. At the time I was looking for a horse. I wanted him so my Father bought him for me and we brought back home with us." Catalina bit her tongue when she was finished speaking. She was rambling again. The princess didn't seem to mind though. "Thats so cool! I have never been outside the kingdom. My horse is Ray. We are…" The princess started talking about how she was training her horse. Catalina listened politely. The carriage ride wasn't long. They were soon there. The sun was still rising, they were right on time. Ralph, who had sat on the couch writing in some sort of notebook the whole time, jumped out imeaditily and hurried to the horses. Catalina got out behind him and went to her trunk. She quickly pulled on her riding gear. It was all brand new with the stables symbol on it. She grabbed her helmet, which was now decorated with a vertical line of gold running down the back now that she was an advanced rider. She grabbed her crop and started off at a brisk pace to the horses. A handler was already standing with Lucky tacked up. Once of the nice things about being with Ralph was that he hired handlers for the shows, he believed that riding was a mental game and that riders had to be as stress free as possible before their class. She mounted Lucky and took the reins as the handler dusted her boots off for her with a rag. When she was ready she gave a nod to the handler and went to the warm up arena. It was already filled with riders and their horses. She let Lucky walk around to warm up and did Lucky's stretches. As she turned a corner she saw out of the corner of her eye Shiela Gold walk in. She was on her horse, a big boned gray she called Apple. Shiela noticed her and sneered. Other advanced riders from the barn filed into the arena one by one. Ralph walked in beside them. He motioned for her to come over.

"Alright, we have a great team to win this event this year." He started as she grew close. "I want everybody warmed up throughly, the horses have not been to this complex before and it would be best to show them around. Stay calm, the horses will feed off your energy. I don't expect for you all to be the best in your classes," He looked at Catalina purposefully. "because this is the first show of the season. I hope for you to place within the top five in your respective divisions, even if you are new. Now, pair off into groups and walk the horses around. Go to the warm arena on the west side, when you are done, its almost empty. Now go." Ralph walked away, leaving the riders to pick their partners. Catalina started to wonder who she would end up with when she heard her name called. She looked up in the general direction of it and was surprised to see the prince waving her over. She walked Lucky on over.

"Want to look around the complex with me and Cara?" He asked her when she got over to them.

"Of course Your Majesty." She answered surprised.

"Don't call me that." He made a brushing motion with his arm. "Its Siv."

"Oh, and call me Cara."

She noticed the gold stripe on both of their helmets as they started walking the horses. "I didn't know you guys were on the advanced team." She commented.

Cara shrugged. "We train privately. We try to keep to ourselves as well, otherwise its ' _Oh your highness, will you please tell your mother to have tea with me next Wednesday?'"_ She continued in another deeper voice. " _Oh Your Highnesses, please tell your father to come dine with me next mont?"_

"Its always one thing or another. We hope to well today though, we won't be able to stay out of the spotlight much longer once they realize who were training with." Siv said, exasperated. They completed their loop and started heading to the west warm up arena. They continued to chat about the horses and their favorite professional riders as they walked over. Catalina was amazed at how easy going they both were. Neither wanted the lime light. The horses walked into the arena and as they trotted past some of the other advanced riders.

"So those are the two advanced riders he trains privately?" One person whispered to her partner.

"Look, its the new girl."

"Thats the heir prince and the princess!" Excited whispers followed them as they passed. Siv and Cara both exchanged dark looks. Eyes followed them around the arena. Lucky moved easily under Catalina, the extra training with the advanced group had payed off. She asked for a canter and Lucky transitioned. Ralph stood on the outside of the arena, giving tips as they rode past.

"More leg less crop Lauren!" He yelled at a blond haired boy as he passed.

"Heels down Catherine! Let em' up and your face down on the ground!" He was nervous, she could tell. He didn't say anything to Siv, Cara or herself. As the youngest riders of the group, they had to prove themselves today. She watched Siv and Cara from the other half of the arena as she moved Lucky down to the posting trot. They both had impeccable equation and had good horses. She thought that Siv was a little hard on the mouth and Cara too easy, but she was sure they could find flaws with her own.

"Your Highnesses, Catalina, your class is next. Lets go." Ralph yelled at them. Catalina hurried to the gate and walked out, following Siv and Cara. As they walked over Ralph talked.

"Your first class is Hunter Under Saddle. Keep the horses moving, this judge likes a good hunter. The order of the jumps are two, one, nine, six, five, four, eight, three, one and ten." Catalina memorized the order carefully.

"Catalina, you are competing in class two, and Siv, Cara," He glanced at them. "You are both in class three. Remember that it is a mental game. Keep your head clear and don't fall off. Now, I will be in the stands. You know the way from here." Ralph walked off and Siv, Cara and Catalina walked over to the check in table. A large number of horses were already over there, waiting to go into their class. Catalina felt the hornets start in her stomach. She watched the first class go. They had finished the rail portion and were now jumping. The first class was always the best riders, pros looking for a good warmup show. She watched as they all jumped the pattern she would have to. Rider after rider went, each making the course look easy. Catalina felt sweat form on her forehead. She wiped it off with her sleeve. She didn't want to go into the arena anymore. She didn't want to jump this class. But before she could say she wanted to cancel the doors to the arena burst open and the first class filed out of the arena. The amount of horses crammed into the small space forced her to move into the line. A handler rushed forward to grab Lucky's reins. He led her into her spot in line. She was first. Of course.

"And now we have our second class, Hunter Under Saddle Intermediate. Our first competitor is Catalina Greenfield of Ralph Hoods Academy." The announcer said and the gates swung open. The handler released Lucky and gave her a pointed look. She sighed and nudged Lucky to walk in. There was no going back now. She adjusted her seat before the judge could see her and walked into the arena, taking her spot next to the rail. Quite a few more names were announced and Catalina watched each opponent come in. She studied them for mistakes. They were all older than her and obviously more experienced. Most of them smirked at her when they passed her going to their spot.

"Please walk your horses clockwise." The announcer said. Catalina swallowed and pressed her boot into Lucky's left side. He pivoted and walked forward at a brisk pace. A hunter was a jumping horse, and that was precisely what Lucky had been bred for. Lucky did all of the commands she asked for perfectly, with his long neck low, his nose tucked in and his strides long and smooth. Then came the jumping portion. They stopped at there original spots and the last person, number one twenty four did the course. As the first person to enter the arena she would be the last person to jump. She watched as everybody did the course, when she should ask for the hand gallop, where to turn and make deep corners. By the time her turn came determination had set in over her nerves. She was ready. She walked up to the starting marker and saluted the judge. When the judge nodded she started the routine. She cantered two circles before taking the first jump. They sailed over it easily. She took the next two, they were a double which meant that it was one jump after another in a line. As they went over the fourth jump she heard Lucky's foot hit the rail. She knew from the gasp of the crowd that it stayed in place but it would still be a point deduction. The next couple were low but long. Lucky made it over all of them. She went over another double and then turned him for the last jump. Why was it always last jumps that were the biggest? This one was about four foot, but still big. She rose up into two point as she felt his muscles bunch. They had a weird take off, she rose too early off setting his balance. As they went over she lost her left stirrup. The judge was sitting on her right. She would have to make the turn and the judge would see it. She desperately tried to get her foot into it. It was banging around without a rhythm to it. She slowed Lucky down to try to get a grip on the stirrup. It worked, her toe caught it. Gasping, she got the rest of her foot into it. The air had knocked out of her landing the last jump. As they turned she shoved her heel down. They stopped beside the marker and she saluted. The judge nodded to her and Catalina walked over to her place in line. They all waited why the judge added up scores. The determination was replaced by Catalina's nerves again. She didn't know if the judge had seen her stirrup, er iron. If she had, than Catalina would probably get last place. If she hadn't Catalina had no idea where she would be placed.

At last she saw the judge give the announcers a piece of paper, that had the placings on it. The announcers were a group of people that would shout out the sentence in union, creating one very loud voice so that everybody could hear. She watched them as they handed around the paper. The directer put up his hand, and then they all spoke.

"In tenth place we have Michael Brown." They all applauded. There was thirteen in her class. Three people would not place.

"In ninth Ellen Wright." The applause pattered on as they went through all of the names. Finally it came down to second place.

"In Reserve Place we have John Azevedo." As she applauded her heart kept wishing she had first even though her brain argued that the judge had seen her lose her stirrup, and she had not placed. Nerves made her hand shake as she waited for the announcers to speak. She hoped nobody could tell.

"And in first place, our Grand Champion is Catalina Greenfield!" A huge amount of applause echoes through the stadium. She had won, she gotten first! The judge hadn't seen her lose her stirrup! Her face split into a wide grin and she walked Lucky forward. An assistant gave her a horse blanket. It was folded neatly, but she could see the elegant stitching on it. The stitching was gold, the blanket made out of a fine green silk. The sides read "Hunter Under Saddle Intermediate Champion". She walked out the gates and was met by Cara and Siv. Cara just about threw herself out of her saddle to hug Catalina. Surprised, Catalina hugged her back.

"Great job in there! You and Lucky did awesome!" Cara said.

"Thanks! Good luck guys! You will be fine!" She answered with a smile. Siv smiled in return. His horse Pie danced beneath him, obviously sensing the tension in the air.

"Well, got to go in. See you after I get one of those blankets!" Siv said confidently as a handler appeared to take him to his spot in line. Siv and Cara walked in to line and Catalina walked back outside. Ralph and one of the handlers were waiting for her.

"Great job!" First class with some points!" Ralph congratulated her as she handed the handler the blanket and dismounted. She patted Lucky. "He did the work."

"And you got your iron back." He informed her. She blushed slightly. "Come into the stands with me. We can watch Siv and Cara, you can eat and then get back on Lucky. Erica here," He gestured to the handler, who was now giving Lucky a apple slice. "will water and rub down Lucky. He can have some hay too." She nodded and followed Ralph into the stands. Lots of people congratulated her as they walked up the steps. They sat down just to see Cara start her course. Cara's course was different, it was the novice division. Everyone competing was Catalina's age. She watched Cara go over the first jump easily. Cara circled and went over another, then went over both doubles. She watched as Cara finished and saluted the judge. Cara had finished the course with two penalties for hitting the rail. There was no telling what her score was. As the next rider went she glanced at Ralph. He was very nervous, the most she had ever seen him. The next rider was obviously a beginner, he had three refusals and was disqualified. Then Shiela went. She easily jumped over all of them and saluted the judge. Bowers whooped and clapped when she was done. He was sitting in front of them. He was obviously very proud of her. Ralph's face tightened. Another couple of riders went, all hitting one or another. Then it was Siv's turn. She could tell that he was very confident. The way he had been sitting in his saddle waiting, a loose hand on his reins. She watched him gather his reins and walk over to the marker. He gave a crisp nod and was off. She watched him with admiration, he could of competed in her class. He went over all of the jumps easily and executed a perfect routine, it was between him and Shiela. Roars of approval echoes through the stands when he finished. He gave a gallant bow and returned to the line up. Ralph nudged her and they stood. They walked outside, the arena and stands were inside. The handler was waiting with Lucky. He wore his blanket over the saddle to keep him warm. It was still chilly. The handler quickly removed the blanket and held him while she mounted. She had one foot in the stirrup when Lucky started to move skittishly. She hung on to his mane and swung her other leg over. She gripped the reins and held him. The handler back away and stood near Ralph. Then they heard the announcers start talking. They walked over to the arena exit and waited for the announcers to call out Siv and Cara's name. Finally they heard them get to fourth.

"In fourth we have Princess Cara." Lots of applause and Cara came out grinning with her ribbon. The announcers waited for the applause to die.

"In third Rachel Reed." More applause.

"In second Shiela Gold." Shiela came out frowning with a ribbon and her prize, a body brush.

"And in first we have…. Prince Sivan!" Roars came to her ears and they all grinned. A couple moments later Siv appeared with his ribbon and blanket. He was also smiling, until he got stopped by every single person within five feet of him, all trying to congratulate him. Finally he just walked away, ignoring the rest. When he reached them he smiled again and dismounted. A handler rushed forward to take away Pie.

"Great job Siv!" Cara congratulated him, also dismounting.

He shrugged. "Wasn't too hard of a course. Plus, I am older than everybody else in the class." Cara and Catalina both nodded. The heir prince was seventeen, and Cara was fifteen. Most people in the class had been between fourteen and sixteen.

"You getting ready for your next class?" He asked her. She looked up at him. She was leaning over Lucky's neck in an attempt to fix his forelock.

"Um, yah." She answered and went back to her struggle. She took her feet out of her stirrups to have a better reach. Lucky tossed his head in protest. She got her fingers on the bridle, she just had to move the one piece… Bam! She flew forward onto his neck and hung on, swinging upside down. Lucky had made a small buck in a attempt to dislodge her. Her arms and legs were wrapped around his neck like she was holding onto a tree branch. When he stopped fidgeting she unwrapped her legs and hung on with her arms, trying to ignore Siv and Cara's snickers in the background. She hung by her arms. She was small and short, it was a two foot drop. She released her arms and absorbed the shock when she landed in her knees. She walked over and grabbed her reins. She glared Lucky in the eye.

"Really?" She said. She tried to move the piece of his forelock again. He was too tall. She jumped, he just tossed his head to avoid her touch. Before she could think of another way to move it somebody pressed their hand to the small of her back.

"Let me do it," She turned, surprisingly it was Siv. "shorty." He finished with a grin. Her skin tingled as he moved his hand to her shoulder and easily used his other one to straighten Lucky's forelock.

"I'm not short!" She protested as she watched him. His long skillful fingers brushed the dust off Lucky's forehead. He finished and bent over to whisper in her ear, his hand on her shoulder squeezed. "Your right. Your attitude makes up for it."

"Hey!" She smiled and shoved him lightly. He removed his hand from her shoulder and laughed. The handlers appeared with stew and water. Catalina mounted again, struggling to get her foot into the stirrup and Siv attempting to hide laughter. When she got into the saddle she accepted the food and water and ate it.

The day went by quickly, she won every class and finished the show with so many horse blankets that she didn't know what to do with all of them. She had entered in twenty classes. Fifteen jumping and five rail. Some of the blankets were heavy for snowy days, some were medium, some were coolers to cool the horses off after practice and some were sheets to keep the horses clean in the summer. She had five of every type of blanket. Siv was having a similar problem. He had also been in twenty classes but had only won fourteen, the others were won by Shiela. Siv and Catalina were both attempting to trade their prizes with Cara, who had gotten quite a lot of reserves. She had won a bunch of brushes. Curry comb, stiff brush, body brush, hoof picks, mane and tail brush and a couple of bags to hold it all in. Cara had three of everything.

"Come on Cara. I'll give you a snow, rain and cooler blanket. If you will give me a curry, stiff, body, hoof pick and mane and tail, and a tack bag." Siv bargained with Cara. Cara thought it over. "No."

"I will do the same deal but I will throw in a sheet." Catalina tried. Cara looked at her. "Deal." She held out her hand and they shook on it. Cara motioned to a handler who gave her the tack bag with everything in it and then the handler gave Cara all of the blankets. Cara and Catalina both looked expectantly at Siv.

"Oh, I don't know. Pie looks better in blue. I might wait until the next show and see if the prizes are in blue." Siv said running his hand through his hair. They had all taken off their helmets as they walked the horses around to cool them off.

"Your so picky!" Cara said exasperated. They laughed and walked the horses back to the

carriages. They dismounted and put all of the tack away in their trunks. Catalina put the new cooler on Lucky and loaded him on the platform. They all chatted on the way home, which breeds tend to do well, what this judge liked and so on. Ralph rode with them again but scribbled madly in his notebook the whole time. Never making comments on anything. When they got to the barn he said good night and then hurried off again. Catalina made sure that Lucky was settled before walking home in the dark with only the moon to light her path. She passed a tavern where she saw some of her school friends emerge. They all wore pretty dresses and held fans. They giggled, obviously drunk.

"Hi Cat!" One of them called to her. She walked into the shadows. She didn't feel like talking to them. She walked all the way home, occasionally slipping on loose stones or rocks. She trudged up the hill with her legs feeling like rubber. Finally she got to the house. Her mother had already eaten and was in bed. A single candle burned in the window for her. Silently she got an apple out of the pantry for dinner and blew out the candle before going upstairs and falling into a deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:**

 **Sooo the other main character is Siv, sorry I realized that I didn't make that super clear in the first two chapters but I am too lazy to go back and do a bunch of editing. This is one is from Siv's point of view... So let me know if you like it and please please review!**

Siv and Cara sat in the carriage on the way home in silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. That girl, Catalina. She struck a nerve with him. She was a commoner, he could tell by her eyes, but she was drop dead gorgeous. The way her light blue eyes narrowed when she concentrated, they looked like ice. Her blond hair was a contrast to her tan skin. She was so graceful, the way she moved, not to mention that she was an amazing rider. Not even he could of jumped those courses so well. And she was younger, only sixteen. He would have to take her to a parlor soon. He himself had done his best to charm her, helping her, touching her when he could. He got the idea she didn't hang out with kids her age that often. The way she talked, it was like she didn't know what to say. She was always focused, he got the idea that she had been very smart in school. He wished he could see her more often. Catalina was a nice addition to him and Cara, it was easier to have a third person around. Maybe he would ask Ralph if he could have some lessons with her, he mused as the carriage door swung open. They were back at the palace. He got out and helped Cara out of the carriage as always. He would have to find out.

"Prince Sivan." A messenger bowed before him.

"Yes?"

"His royal highness wishes for you to eat lunch with him. He requests for you to go to his chambers imeaditily.

"Of course." He took off for his fathers chambers, knowing that this was bad news.

"Father." Siv bowed in the doorway to his fathers chambers. His father had summoned him to eat with him. That was a bad sign, usually that meant royal business. Which somehow always directly related to him. The last time he had been summoned it had been to discuss his behavior, what age he could go out and drink in the parlors. In Desliryn you were allowed to start drinking ale, wine and beer at the age of fifteen.

"Come, we have an important topic to discuss." His father said and beckoned him. Siv obediently walked forward and sat on one of the couches. Servants have already set down the meal and left. Siv grabbed an apple and bit into it before speaking.

"Whats up?"

"We need to discuss marriage opportunities." Siv froze mid chew. He had forgotten how direct his father could be and he didn't want to discuss that. He still had it least three years. He was seventeen, not twenty. All of the ladies were boring anyways. They only gossiped and sewed, they didn't do anything interesting like horse back riding like Catalina or Cara. He swallowed the bite of apple only half chewed and coughed as it went down his throat.

"That can wait a couple years can't it?" He asked.

"The marriage can wait. The betrothal cannot." Before he could ask his father continued. "And, you must be the one to make the engagement." His father held up his hand. "This year, betrothal, next year engagement, third year marriage, fourth year children." The king ticked off his fingers. "It is traditional. You have until your eighteenth birthday to make your offer."

"But you always say that change is good." Siv argued.

"You must marry for the good of the kingdom Sivan." His father reminded him.

"Fine. I'll marry somebody in the kingdom." He thought about the few nobles he had as an option.

"Thats not what I mean Sivan. You know that very well." Siv glared at his father.

"Fine. Who are my options?" He asked just to amuse his father. His father would never know that he had no plan to marry anybody until it was too late. He could it least put the big lecture off for a couple weeks.

"Kaliyah of Leiwuh, Rose of Milian and Elizabeth of Palend are my suggestions, even though there are several other options. I suggest you research it and ask your mother." Siv made a face. He hated all of the kingdoms his father had just suggested. Marriage meant alliance. Leiwuh wouldn't give them much, just a pretty queen and some better water magic. Milian would give them some food, but Desliryn provided what they needed for themselves and exported more. Palend was always being attacked and the kingdom would have to help defend them as part of being allies. He would marry inside the kingdom. One he gave a betrothal his father could not undo it. He would just humor his father for now but throw away his work and marry somebody in the kingdom in the end.

"Okay. I will think about it." Siv told his father and stood to leave.

"Very well Sivan. Remember what I said. Oh, and you also need to attend the council meetings once a week from now on." His father said. Siv bowed before walking down the hallway. Council meetings once a week! One council meeting lasted anywhere between one and four hours. He only had twelve hours a day, he went to the parlors at night. October was coming fast, that meant they had to butcher, store the food and get the kingdoms homes ready. There was lots to do. Council meetings would be four hours everyday then, and he rode in the mornings. His body guard followed him from his fathers chambers to his own. His bodyguard was Roland. Roland had guarded Siv since he was five and the nursemaid had retired. Siv changed into his riding gear and walked down to the stables. He should've known his father would say that. He should've just said he had a riding lesson. His father would of let him go. He started tacking up Pie. He had brought Pie home from the show for a few days of recovery time. A handler walked by, leading a large draft horse that often pulled his carriage. Siv swung into the saddle, feeling the familiar ease of it. He liked everything how it was, he didn't need his royal duties messing it up. He could only hope it stayed that way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi, I hope you like this chapter. I am finding that most of my chapters are 1,500 to 2,000 words each so I am working to get about three out every week. Remember to review, I am one of those weirdos who love harsh feedback so, let me know!**

Catalina ran past the shops like usual, her bare feet stinging against the stone pavement. She dashed into the classroom just as the bell rang. She hurriedly sat down at her desk and shoved her feet into her boots. They stung painfully but she knew she had to keep going barefoot, it alerted her if their was any people with water nearby who could tell if she was a tainted.

"Please discuss homework answers with the person sitting to your right." The teacher announced. Catalina sighed and turned toward her friend Eliza.

"Heard you did well at Chezon this weekend Cat." Eliza commented as they switched papers to check each others work.

"How do you know?" Catalina asked. Eliza didn't really like horses, so she didn't follow up on Catalina's scores and prizes. Eliza marked a problem on Catalina's paper correct. "Oh, its just the rumor thats flying around lately. Apparently you went to Chezon, a very prestigious show and cleaned house in the second division and hung out with the royal family."

Catalina felt the blush rising to her cheeks. "Do you believe it?" Eliza turned and looked Catalina straight in the eye. "It's true isn't it?" She asked, her voice filling with awe. "You hung out with the heir prince for the entire day and the princess gave you something." Catalina bit her lip, knowing her face was bright red. "Okay, its true. I hung out with them for the whole day and Cara and I traded prizes. I have her brushes and she has my blankets."

"Your on first name terms! What are they like? Are they nice? Stuck up brats? Rebellious?" Eliza demanded.

"Girls! Miss Eliza and Miss Catalina! Please work quietly!" The teacher Mrs. Goodwin demanded across the room. Catalina sighed. "I will tell you at lunch. Meet me under the apple tree on the far side of the orchard." They worked the rest of the day in tension. Catalina couldn't meet Eliza at lunch because everybody wanted to know if the rumors were true. By the end of the school day Catalina was so tired that she was just done with people. She just wanted to go ride Lucky. She tugged of her boots and put them in her school bag, ready to run barefoot to her riding lesson. When she walked out of the building a messenger stood waiting. He walked over to her. "Miss Catalina, your riding lesson had been moved to the royal stables at four o'clock tonight. Prince Sivan requests for you to arrive early, he needs to discuss the show with you. Ralph Hoods has also left you a letter," He handed her the scroll of parchment. It was tied neatly with a hunter green ribbon, one of the colors of the stables. She took it and shoved it into her pack as the group of girls nearest to her squealed. Catalina eyed them, knowing they would have even more questions now.

"I'll be there, um, gotta go." She grabbed Eliza and took off at a run.

"Slow," Eliza gasped, "Down." Catalina slowed down to a brisk walk. Making sure they weren't being followed she led Eliza into the square. Catalina pulled up the hood of her cloak and walk into one of the many cafes. They sat down in one of the back corners, facing away from the door.

"So, are you finally going to answer my questions?" Eliza demanded as she sipped the tea she had ordered.

"I might as well just tell you the whole day, in extreme detail mode." Catalina answered with a grin. Eliza grinned back, all teeth, and took another sip of her tea. Catalina recounted the whole day with Eliza occasionally butting in asking for more details or what happened in the background. By the time Catalina finished she could of wrote a whole novella on the day. She glanced at the clock. Two thirty. She had to go. They said good bye and Catalina made a swift exit, remaining unnoticed.

She arrived at the palace gates right at three o'clock. She was already tacked and ready to ride, in fact she was riding. Lucky pranced under her, nervous about the atmosphere at the palace. She didn't blame him, there were servants everywhere. Some were cooks and other maids and some gardeners. Something big was clearly happening soon.

"Your Catalina Greenfield?" A guard asked, startling her. She nodded.

"You are to report to Prince Sivan at arena six. I will escort you." The guard came over and put a hand on Lucky's reins. Lucky imeaditily reared up and Catalina reached forward and grabbed his mane at the last second to stay on. The guard quickly let go and backed away.

"Easy boy, easy." She said as she forced him back down on all fours. Lucky just snorted and started galloping. She pulled back on the reins to make him stop. She gasped as one rein broke, ice spreading all over it. The other one was covered in thick ice as well. She leaned forward and yanked on the bridle itself. Lucky halted and she dismounted, keeping a firm hand on him. She turned around just in time to see the guard vanish around the bend. She had no time, he couldn't get away. She swung back into the saddle and spurred Lucky, he took off, servants scattering as the large bay threatened to ram into them. As they went the corner she caught a glimpse of the uniform. The guard was straight ahead. Her gaze narrowed like it always did during a jump. As they got closer and the guard ran faster another figure riding a horse appeared. The man tripped and fell, clearly startled to see another horse coming straight at him. Catalina didn't even think. She pulled her knife out of her boot and got ready to launch herself off Lucky. Four strides left. She stopped giving Lucky so much spur. Three strides. She rose up in her saddle. Two strides. She let go of Lucky's bridle. One stride. She decided she was crazy. And then, she jumped.

She hit the man hard, and he fell back down on his back. She pressed the knife to his throat and stood, pulling him with her. She glared him hard in the eyes.

"Why did you freeze and break my reins?" The man looked surprised, and she was too. She didn't think she could sound so mean. The man met her gaze levelly. "Because your a tainted." She threw him into the wall and cornered him again.

"Say that again and I will personally leave a pretty tattoo on your face." The man just laughed. "As you say, tainted." She moved her forearm to his throat and made a quick cut with her knife down the palm of his hand.

"Wanna try me again?" She taunted.

"I wouldn't if I were you." A voice said from behind her. Before she could turn he came into the side of her view. It was Siv. He was leading Lucky and Pie. He was also dressed for riding with a long knife of his own in his free hand. A large man, who she guessed was his bodyguard, stepped forward and took the guard from her. She stepped away, still glaring at the guard. Her precious reins, brand new for getting on the advanced team, were ruined. He glared back.

"You can say whatever you want to, but your a tainted. You should be killed for it. In fact, your a danger to the ro—" Before he could finish Siv's bodyguard punched him the head. The guard's head rolled forward, he was unconscious.

"Is it him?" Siv asked his bodyguard grimly.

"Sure looks like it. I will take him to the castle guard, its not my job to deal with him." The bodyguard answered. He slung the imposter over his shoulder and started walking back to the palace.

"Who was he?" Catalina asked Siv. He had said she was a tainted. How did he know? She had been going out of the water workers way for weeks. There was no way any of them would know. And she hadn't sensed any water in him… Which meant either a number of people now knew and he was working with an organization or he was bluffing trying to get a reaction out of her. And a reaction he did get. But wait, if she hadn't felt the water in him yet he froze her reins… Somebody had been with him in the beginning. Then a memory washed her cold with fear. Bathing Lucky after she broke the school record. The cold water and the disappearing footprints. Somebody knew. Somebody was invisible. Somebody was invisible with the water. Cold daunting was filling her with fear, ice running her veins. She glanced down at her wrists. Her veins were ice blue.

"Catalina, Cat, are you okay? Cat, come back to me! His voice was getting dimmer and dimmer, and then all she felt was the ice in her veins.


End file.
